‘John Wick’ director assures us Keanu Reeves is still on board

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — People keep saying it, but we need to hear it from Keanu Reeves.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski said in a recent episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that star Keanu Reeves is on board to do another film in the franchise.

Host Josh Horowitz pointed out how highly successful the latest film has been, noting, “I’m sure the studio wants another one.”

“Have you had the drink with Keanu?” he asked Stahelski about the two discussing a possible fifth installment in the franchise.

“Yeah, Keanu and I have talked,” Stahelski said. “Keanu, if you ask him right now, ‘Would you do John Wick 5?’ He’d be, ‘F**k yeah!’ But then he’d look and go, ‘Well, what is it? I have no f**king idea.’”

The director said there’s no rush because they have a lot of set pieces, as well as some things that they didn’t get around to doing in other films. Stahelski said that if he came up with an idea for a fifth film “within 30 seconds I’d be on the phone to Keanu and we’d be riffing.”

“I have no doubt that we would come up with a lot of great pieces,” Stahelski said. “It’s just what’s the main thread?”

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake told Deadline back in March that the studio was not ready to let go of Reeves as the popular action hero – despite some indications that his time might be winding up.

“We’re not ready to say goodbye to Keanu with this franchise,” Drake said. “It’s what alternative there will be.”

“John Wick” producer Basil Iwanyk later told Deadline that more would be known in Septembe, citing that Stahelski and Reeves were scheduled to take a trip to Japan this month and would be able to discuss it over some whiskey,

“Once they get through their hangovers, if Keanu and Chad have figured out something cool, if they’ve an organic way back in that doesn’t feel like bulls**t, then there will be a ‘John Wick 5,’” Iwanyk told the publication. “That trip to Japan, it’s like waiting for a boat to emerge out of the smoke, but that’s the impetus.”

In the meantime, franchise fans can look forward to the spinoff “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas in which Reeves is set to appear.

CNN has reached out to a representative for Reeves for comment.

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